By Aaron Humes: Businessman Zach Reich has alleged that the driver for Minister of the Public Service Henry Charles Usher pulled his licensed firearm on him after a traffic altercation, and that when he went to report the matter to Police, they allegedly refused to save his statement in the Crime Information Management System (CIMS).
The incident took place starting around 8 p.m. Friday as the driver, Harrison Blades, with Usher as passenger, was pulling onto the Philip Goldson Highway from the street next to the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza. Surveillance footage showed that Blades only slowed down as he was making the turn, while Reich was “under speed” and changed lanes to the right to avoid the collision. Both accuse the other of reckless driving, with Usher charging that Reich tried to run him and Blades off the road, while Reich said he was only trying to express his discontent.
Reich turned at the roundabout near Westrac and stopped at the Highway Store to meet friends; Blades and Usher also stopped there to make a purchase. The Minister went inside and Blades allegedly approached Reich, who was among his friends, and this is when Reich alleges Blades pulled his gun.
Reich further alleged that the officer who took his statement at the Belama Police Sub-station said it could not be entered into CIMS “for his own safety.”
Today, Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith told reporters that an investigation is underway, led by the Professional Standards Branch: “Statements are being recorded from other persons who were on the scene. And wherever this investigation takes us, that is where we will go. But I will also want to say that we have tasked persons from the Professional Standards Branch to reach out to Reich for him to provide us with a statement as it relates to the statement that he’s making in terms of being told by a particular police officer that his statement will not be taken or, or it’ll not be updated in the CIMS, in the interest of his safety. It can never be that a person goes to a police station for assistance and is left feeling more concerned about their safety. So certainly, we will be taking actions in that regard.”
ASP Smith added that complaints against the Police may be directed to any office of the Professional Standards Branch in each district, or directly to the Commissioner of Police by phone or email.
The post Businessman and Minister’s driver tangle on the road; Police conduct under scrutiny appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Aaron Humes: Businessman Zach Reich has alleged that the driver for Minister of the Public Service Henry Charles Usher pulled his licensed firearm on him after a traffic altercation, and that when he went to report the matter to Police, they allegedly refused to save his statement in the Crime Information Management System (CIMS).
The post Businessman and Minister’s driver tangle on the road; Police conduct under scrutiny appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
